Everard l



Jan. 25,` 1927. v1,615,455

- E. L. JOHNSON FLASH LIGHT A lPAR'ATUs F'ile'd Dec. 23' 1925 r- .w ff ./f/ ,l//

Patentedv Jan.y 1927.A

f EVERARD Johnson, or raronotion,iinvvdironir.y

FLASH-,LIGHT APPARATUS.

appiicaupn fiieii December ai, ma

- This inventionrelates to flashlight apparatus orlguns adapted for yuse by profes sional or amateur photographers in studios,

y homes `andother places, and the .objectfojlI vIS theinvention is to provide a gun or apparatus of the class specified whicliby reason of its construction will be rendered fool-proof;

in operation, means being employedto prevent the accidental ignition of the .explosive powder `by the sparking yor igniting means employed until the gun or apparatus has beenplaced initsop'erative position, particularly ,withinrv a flash-bag employed for this purpose; a further objectbeing topro-` 15 vide improved means for controlling and regulating the operation of .the spark genf erating device; a. furtherjobject being -to y provide improved means for controlling and operating a ydoor member which when in op- 2-0 erative kposition prevents thebackflash of powder intothe mechanisms r apparatus of a gun; and with these and otherjob]ects in view the invention consists in an appara- Y tus of the class andy for the purpose specif tied which is simple in construction, efficient vin use, and which `is constructed as herein-1 after described and claimed. y ,e g The invention is fullyvdisclosed in the following speciiication, offwhichvthe accompanying drawing forms a part, in whichthe separate parts of niy improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and inwhicli :e I Fig. 1 is sectional view of a part of a cabinet and door construction controlling admission to said cabinet and showingmy improved flash gun mountedyin connection therewithl andindicating the method of its "use;, c

'Fig. is an inside view ofthe cabinet showing the gun in operative position;l l y Fig. 3`is a transverse'sectional view on kthe line13-310-Figu2g y v 1 Fig.` l is a section on the linefkof Fig. 3; and,

Fie-5 'cover thereof removed andvwithypart of the construction broken away and insection. The invention shown and described is lan proif'cd door-construction;

isa face view of the gun with the:

iniproyement on flashlight apparatus,y suchy as shown and described 11i prior atents` while the latter shows a flashbag and iinserial No. 77,259.

` Inl the accompanying drawing I` have 1 snown at 10 my improved ilashgun, which Vis mounted in connection with and movable y with the youter doorl11 of ailash-bag or other support 12, having a door openingy 13 closedfby the door 11 and also by a spring hinge door 11i whichis movable within the receptacle of thefiash-bag 12,r the movement being imparted to the ,door 14: by ay hookshaped armv 15 o 'n supporting vbracket 16 f secured to the door. 11 and on whichbracket the gun 10 isfmountedfandheld1in position by a set screw 17. `Vlfhenthe door 11i` is coin posed orp wooda metal plate le@ ismounted on the face of the doorin connection with which vthejarin :15 operates, and the springv hinge 14C for the door 14; normally :operat ingto hold the rsame 4in closed position-fas y yshown in `dot and-daslilines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.r The outer `door ll'ishel'd in itsky closed 'position hy,l a'clip`18, and when `this clip is removedthe tension of the spring' hinge or the.' door 14 will operate to close lsaiddoor and move the door 11 as well as the gun 10, which is supported thereby, outwardly through the opening 13 of the cabinet 12 as indicated in dot and dash'linesin y i Fig, 1 of the drawingl 1 y.

.My iinprovedfgun, inthe construction shown, comprises 1a boiosha'ped casing `19,

theopen side, lface of which isclosedby a cover 2O held in place by a winged nut 21 threaded upon a bearingy pin 22 mounted in thecasing,and alining pins yor dowels 23 on the lcasing pass Yinto the cover yand serve to hold the sainel` in proper position. The-bot.-l

toni of kthecai-iing adjacent the back wallk thereof isprovided 'with anfeiitended flange 24 with which a trough 25 is detachably coniiected, and the casing is` provided adjacent one corner portionthereoi with a chamber 26 opening outwardly into thetroughl25 y and into the casing, as seen at 27 in Figfy oi the drawing.

Rotatably mounted upon the pinv 22 isr a spark generating device 28 having a semi-k circular ace :on which is mounted a seglating the tensionvroi'i the flint. upon the roughene'd surface of the segment 29. The inember28 is provided Awithra' radial'y arm 32with ywhich is connected a coil spring .33 andan adgustment screw 34emountedin the Y ment 2,9,.having aroughened or iiledsurfacel y casing and coupled with said spring to cont-rol and regulate the tension thereof, said screw being adjusted on a nut 35 externally of the casing 19.

The flint supporting member 30 is arranged adjacent to the point 27 where the chamber 26 opens into the casing, and the segment 29 o'n the member' 28 is also arranged adjacent to said point, whereby in the operation of the member 28 sparks will be directed into the chamber 26 and thus into the trough 25 yto ignite the flash .powder placed therein, and a door 36 is pivotally mounted within the casing and operated in one direction by a spring 3"?, and the spring holds the door normally in a closed position, as seen in Fig. 5, and a cam face 38 on the member 28 operates to move the door 3G into inoperative position and to hold the same in such position as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The rubber or other cushion or bulier 39 is mounted in the casing 19 and in connection with which the member 28 operates to prevent any noise or sound when said member is released and operated by the spring 33 as later described.

l also employ a pawl 49 which is pivotally mounted within the casing provided with a projecting nose 4l adapted to engage a notch 42 in the segment 29 to hold the meinber 28 in position under the tension of the spring 33, it being understood that the member 28 is set in such position by hand by the operator pushing upon a finger-piece 43 at the end of the arm 32, which finger-piece extends through the cover 20 of the casing and operates in an elongated arc-shaped aperture 44 therein, note Fig. 4 of the drawing. rcoil spring` 45 is connected with the pawl 40, said spring having an adjustment screw 46 to regulate its tension, the screw being adjusted by a nut 47, said spring serving to hold the pawl in operative position, the pawl is released by a plunger 4S adapted to strike the free end of the pawl 40, said plunger being actuated by an air bulb 49 placed in communication with the plunger through a flexible tube 50, note Fig. 5 of the drawing. The tubing 59 in the use of the device as illustrated in Figs. l and 2 is adapted to pass through an aperture 51 in the door ll in order that the bulb may be external of the cabinet l2 as will be apparent.

Pivotally mounted in connection with the cover 2O at 52 is a safety control lever 53, the. inner end portion 54 of which is adapted to normally lie in the path of the lingerpiece 45 to prevent the release of the spark generating member 2S even though'the pawl 40 might be moved into inoperative position by the compression of the bulb 49 or by any other means, and the outer end portion 55 of the lever is provided with a beveled face adapted to operate in connection with a pin 56 on the door 14 to move the lever 53 or the inner end portion 54 thereof into inoperative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing when the door 1l is closedras shown in full lines in Figs. l and 2; it being understood that the relative pivots of the door ll of the flash-bag l2 are such that the lever 53 will not engage the pin 56 until the door ll is in a closed or practically closed position, and spring 57 is secured to the cover 2O and to the end 55 of the lever to normally hold the end 54 thereof in operative position. lt will also be understood that when the bulb 49 is operated to 'set off' the gun and assuming that the gun l() is in the Hash-bag l2 as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, the operation of said bulb will move the plunger in position to strike the pawl 49 releasing the member 28 which moves from the position shown in Fig. 4 into position substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 3, and the sparks generated by the engagement ot the segment 29 with the flint in the holder SO are directe-d into the chamber 26, after which the door 36 closes the communication between the chamber 26 and the interior of the casing.

It will be understood that while i have shown certain details of construction Afor carrying my invention into effect, that l am not necessarily limitedl to these details, and changes in and modifications of the structure herein shown and described may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without ydeparting from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A flashlight gun comprising spark generating elements, one of. said elements being movable with respect to the other in the generation of sparks, means for normally holding said movable element in predetermined position, a spring for actuating the movable element when released, and automatically actuated means for preventing the operation of the movable element until the gun is in predetermined position and ready for use.

2. A flashlight gun comprising spark generating elements, one of said elements being movable with respect to the other in the generation of sparks, means for normally holding said movable element in predetermined position, a spring for actuating the movable element when released, automatically actuated means f'or preventing the operation of the movable element until the gun is in predetermined position and ready for use, and the tensional means of' said movable element being adjustable.

3. A flashlight gun of the class described comprising a casing, spark generating elements mounted within said casing, said castion ing having an external povvderreceiving re-` .ceptacle,` means for placing saidfsparking elements in communication with said receptacle, and automatically actuated means co-y operating with one of` said sparking elementsfor retaining the same against opleray, until the/gun is in proper position for use.v

4'. A device of the class described compris-` ing a casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication With the interior of the casing, means Within the casing for generating ysparks which arey adapted to pass through said communication to said receptacle, and automatically actuated means for rendering the spark generating meansinoperativc until 'the deviceis in position for use. l l

5. A device of thefclass described comprising a casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication With the interior of the casing, a tensionally operated rotatable sparking element in said casing co-operating With Hint supported in the casing to generate sparks adapted to be directed through the communication into said receptacle, a paWl for normally holdf ing said element inoperative position, manually operated ymeans for releasing said pavvl topermit of the operation of said element, and automatically actuated means cooperating vvith said element to prevent the proper position for use. c

6. A device of the class described comprisvoperation thereof until the apparatus is in ing a casing having an external powder re-y ceiving receptacle 1ny communication with they interior of the casing, a tensionally operated rotatable sparking element in said casing co-operating With flint supported in the casing to generate sparks adapted to be di-L rected through'the communication into said receptacle, a vpavvl for normally holding said element in operative position, manually operated means forreleasing said paWl topermit of the operation of said element, automatically actuated meansv co-operating f with said element to prevent the operation thereof until the apparatusis in proper po,- sition for use,`and meansffor adjusting the tension of the koperating means for said element. c

v LA device of the c-lass described comprising a casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication With the interiorof the casing, a teiisionally operated rotatabley sparkingelement in said casino'co-o eratino' with iiinttsu aorted in the casing to generate sparks yadapted to be directed through the communication into said receptacle, a pavvl `for normally holding said element iii operative position, manually operated means for releasing said pavvl to permit of the operation of said element,

automatically actuated means co-operating with saidlelement tovprevent the operation thereof until the apparatus is iii properpo- Vsition forjuse, means for adjusting the tension of the operating means for said elcf ment, 'a door controlling t-he communication between the casing and said receptacle, said door being normally held 'in open position by said element, and ytensional means for movingvthe doorin a rclosed position.

'8. An apparatusof the class comprising a flash cabinet having an opening therein, a dual dooi1 lconstruction con trolling' said openinga flashlight guiisup-` ported inl connection With and movable Wit-h one of saiddoors and adapted vto be extended through the cabinetrand yto, be moved thereinto, said gun comprising a casing liaving anl external powder receiving receptacle,

sparks to ignite the powder placed in said receptacle, and a safety devicey co-operating with the spark generating means to prevent the operation thereof untilr the gun is contained Within the flash-bag.

9. An apparatus of the class describedy 'comprising a flash cabinet having an opening therein, a dual door construction controlling said opening, a flashlight gun supported in connection With andinovable With one of said doors and adapted to be extended through the cabinet andy to be moved there,- into,` said gun comprising a casing having an external powder receiving receptacle,

means Within the casing for generating sparks to ignite the powder placed in said receptacle7 a safety device co-operating with the spark generating means to yprevent the operation thereof until the gunis contained vvithin'the flash-bagiand .means cooperating with said safety device to move the same into inoperative yposition When the kgun vis Within the flash-bag.

l0. An apparatus of the class described comprising a Hash cabinet Ahaving an openingtherein, a dual door constructioncontrol# ling said opening, a flashlight gun supported in connectionwvitli rand movable with one of c described means Within the casing foi` generating y said doors andk adapted to be extended` through the cabinet and to be moved there into, said gun comprising a casing having an external powder receiving receptacle, means Within the casing for generating sparks toy flash-bag, and manually operated means ex.

tending through the flash-bag When the gun is contained therein for manually actuating spark generating means employed.

11'. An apparatus of the classdescribed comprising a frame having'a door' opening therein, two doors controlling said opening, a flashlight gun mounted in connection with one of said doors and movable therein whereby said gun may be extended through said door opening` in both directions, means whereby the operation of one door will cause the other door to be operated, sa-i'd lashlight gun comprisingr a casingharing an external powder receiving receptacle, spark generating means within said casing, and a safety device cooperating with said spark generating means whereby the same may be operated in one position only yor said flashlight gun. n

12. An apparatus or' the class described comprisingY a frame haviii'g a door opening therein` two doors Controlling said opening', a flashlight gun mounted in connection with one of said doors and movable therein whereby said gun may be extended through said door opening in both directions, means whereby the operation of one door will canse the other door to be operated, said flashlightgnn comprising a casing' having an eXternal powder receiving receptacle, spark generating means within said casing, a safety device co-operating with said spark generating means whereby the same may be operated in one position only or' said flashlight gun, and means on one` of said door members for moving said safety device into inoperative position.

ln testimony that claim the 'toreggjoing as my vinvention l have signed my name this th day of Dec. 1925.

EVERARD L. JOHNSON. 

